[USA] players actually look like they like each other and are having fun. England, on the other hand? I have never seen a more joyless group of players in my life. They are having no fun. It’s no fun watching them.
Category: Sports
Jun19
Jun9
If a player doesn’t happen to share a language with the referee, he might yell in his native language just to convey that he’s upset. “Any kind of fellatio comment is inevitably understood,” says Alexi Lalas, who was on the U.S. World Cup roster in 1994 and 1998.
Feb23
The fantasy that is indulged when Bob Costas speaks breathlessly about an upcoming ski race where he already knows exactly what happened is no longer even a fragile fantasy; it’s a blatant fiction that everyone knows about.
Feb9
Victorious Return
Since the 2006 season, the most zealous of Saints fans have gone to the airport to welcome the Saints back from road games. After landing, players and coaches leave in their own cars — but fans line up along the path to the airport exit, forming a gauntlet of adulation. As he creeped along, coach Sean Payton hoisted the Lombardi Trophy out of his sunroof.
Jan25
Bourbon Street after Saints win
I was at the Saints’ first playoff victory in 2001. On the way out, walking along the concourse, we were high-fiving perfect strangers as they walked in the other direction. Last night, my parents called me as they drove home from where they’d gone to watch the game. I could hear people yelling, cars honking, and fireworks cracking.
Saints 31, Vikings 28
Unless I’ve been dreaming for the last eight hours, the Saints are going to the Super Bowl. Here, Tracy Porter celebrates the interception that kept the score tied at the end of the fourth quarter.
Dec3
How good was Drew Brees on Monday night? Cold Hard Football Facts says he was nothing short of obscenely fantastic. Five touchdown passes (against a Belichick-coached team), a perfect passer rating, and 16.13 yards per passing attempt — accomplishments that range from rare to extremely rare to unprecedented.
Dec1
The Louisiana Superdome is, I’m convinced, the most intimidating place to play in the NFL. The Times-Picayune measured crowd noise at key moments in last night’s game; after a critical defensive stop, it peaked at 119 decibels — about as loud as it can get without being quite dangerous for one’s hearing. For comparison, I googled around and found a reference to a 108-decibel peak at one game at the RCA Dome (the former home of the Colts). Domes have fallen out of favor, on the whole, but there’s no beating them when you want to make the road team feel unwelcome.
Saints 38, Patriots 17
The Saints are 11–0. Had you heard? I’ve been reserved so far, but I feel a sports-gasm coming on that won’t subside until the end of the NFL season. I apologize in advance.
Oct18
I’ve never really seen anything like [Drew Brees]. He’s maybe barely 6 feet tall and he moves around there like he’s seeing everything. I can’t see a thing half the time, and I’m the same height. He’s super special.
